Rising From Ashes
by GoldenGirlGalaxy
Summary: After Kalos, Ash has been living away from society for years after a disagreement left him feeling betrayed, especially when no one knew the truth. Now, a tournament is coming, and Ash is ready to reveal that truth. However, with evil forces after him and a group of determined ex-friends still unaware of his role, how will Ash be able to do anything?
1. The Isolationist

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. I own the story.**

 **Update: I changed Ash's stage name from Red Satoshi to Ashura Knight.**

* * *

The Tree of Beginnings is truly a magical place, filled to the brim with Pokemon who seek solitude there. Few trainers, or any person for that matter, enter, both because of how difficult it is to reach on foot and the dangers rumored to be inside.

Yet that did not stop a certain green haired woman from teleporting to the base of the tree, a letter in hand.

"Can't believe Scott figured it out…" she muttered as she returned her Alakazam with small words of thanks.

She entered the large, crystalline tree, soon being exposed to the vast interior filled with numerous Pokemon. If she were an outsider, she would have questioned the Pokemon here, mainly due to the fact that many of them were not native to Kanto.

But she knew why so many different types were here.

It _was_ because of the reason she was here.

As she walked around the paths that stretched through the tree, occasionally waving to some of the more social Pokemon, a pink cat suddenly flew up to her with glee.

The woman giggled at the sight. "Hello, Mew."

' _Hi, Sabrina!'_ The Legendary answered telepathically. ' _Whatcha doin'?"_

"I have a letter for Ash," the psychic gym leader told the Legend, holding up the envelope in her hand. "I need to take it to him. He'll want to see this."

' _Your protege is currently training,'_ Mew explained. ' _I can take you to him.'_

"Thank you. This is a bit urgent," Sabrina said. "I have received a similar letter, and there is a date on it."

' _It's not a death threat, is it?'_ Mew asked as they started to walk- well, Mew floated- along.

' _No one's going to hurt Ashy!'_ Mew said, punching into one of her hands.

"No, not a death threat. In fact, he'll probably like this. For the most part."

As the two continued onward, their topic of discussion turning to general conversation, the sounds of fighting came to their attention. The closer they came to their destination, the louder they became.

Eventually, the two entered a small tunnel in one of the walls, which let out on a ledge. A staircase was off on both sides, and below is what looked to be an arena of sorts.

Below, a man and a Pokemon battled one another, both of them using no weapons or aids. The man didn't even have much clothing, just a pair of shorts, proving he was not using any tools to help him fight.

The Pokemon he was face looked to be a Pikachu, but it was rather… odd.

It's tail started off long and thin, much like that of a Raichu, before ending in a large, rounded shape that looked more like its normal tail. It was also currently riding said tail, similar to that of the Alolan variant. It's paws were black, as if it was wearing gloves or socks, while the brown stripes on its back turned into a black lightning bolt. It's head now had fuzzier looking ears that had a large amount of black, yellow hair that grew in a messy style, and red 'Z's off the edges of its cheeks.

Sabrina watched the two fight, Iron Tail being parried by a glowing blue arm swing, Electro-ball being countered with Aura Sphere, etc. Soon, however, she found herself remembering the letter in her hand and decided to act.

Her eyes glowed around the edges as she focused on the two, who were currently charging at one another.

In one instance, they stopped completely as energy fields surrounded them, shock filling their faces as they froze mid stride.

In the next, the shock was replaced with determination as the two seemed to concentrate, the energy around them waning as the motionlessly struggled.

Finally, the fields around them broke, shattering like glass as the energy vanished.

The two looked up to see Sabrina standing on the edge, Mew fluttering around her.

"Hey, Sabrina!" The man shouted, waving to the psychic.

" _Hey!"_ The Pikachu happily greeted.

* * *

Dear Ashura Knight,

You are invited to the Pokemon League _Tournament of Legends_. We are bringing together as many trainers as we can. This includes all Gym Leaders, Trial Captains, Elite Fours, and Champions. The winner shall receive a large sum of Pokedollars, among other prizes, including a mystery prize. The event shall be happening in one months time, registration starts on the 11th ar Ula'Ula Island, Alola. Come and become a Legend.

Charles Goodshow

 _P.S. Ash, I know it's you. First of all, you made it incredibly hard to find you! It was only by luck I realized Sabrina had a connection to you. Please return to the League, you'll be able to keep your alias but only for the preliminary round robin battles. You must use your real name in the elimination rounds. Please consider, everyone misses you (even though I know you don't miss some of them for their actions). Not to mention, Goodshow and I believe it is time to reveal the truth to the world._

 _Scott_

As Ash finished reading the letter, he looked up to Sabrina.

"So, I'm assuming you got one too?"

Sabrina nodded. "Scott personally handed me mine, then he gave me yours and explained that he knew I was connected to you. He didn't know I had been training you, just that I had a rough idea of where you were. I'm just lucky you were in Kanto, otherwise it would have taken me much longer to find you."

Her face grew serious. "Are you sure you want to go? After everything that's happened between you and the outside world… everything that we have learned…"

Ash cut her off. "I… will have to think about this a little, as well as ask my Pokemon for their opinion, they'll be doing most of the legwork, not me-"

"Though you could do it if you wanted to," Sabrina added.

"-and I want them to be completely sure about this. They have taken everything just as hard as me, or worse in some cases. Though I believe they are ready for something like this and the world does need to learn the truth sooner or later."

Suddenly, someone burst into the room.

However, since the opening they used was on a ledge, they almost fell off, if not for a Shiny Sylveon coming up from behind and grabbing them with its feelers.

"Not to mention I also have to worry about her," Ash said.

"Worry about me for what?" The person, a young girl baring an extreme resembles to Ash, asked as she walked down the stairs with the Fairy Eeveelution, the Pokemon having placed their trainer back on the ledge.

"Big tournament going on," Sabrina explained. "Thousands of trainers, including the Champions and their underlings. Scott invited Ash, but he has to use his real name later in the tournament."

"Oo oo oo!" The girl cheered excitedly, bounding up and down. "You should go, Big Bro! You don't have to worry about me!"

"Ashley, I'm worried that people will figure out what you are," Ash stated. "Someone is bound to notice something off about you when my real name is revealed. I don't want them doing anything to you."

"I don't matter," Ashley seriously replied. "This is _your_ dream we're talking about. You rise to any challenge and succeed, no matter what stands in your way! Don't let me stand in your way! This is your chance to show the world who you are!"

Ash looked at her in shock before his face settled into a smile. "Well, like I said, this isn't just my decision, so I'll go ask the others what they think."

He then approached the little girl and wrapped her in a hug. "Also, never think that you don't matter. I care about you and you have helped me so much these past few years."

Ashley returned the hug. "Still, don't let me get in the way."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Sis."

As he released her, he suddenly thought of something. "By the way, could you tell Mom about this? I'm sure she'll want to know what's going on."

"Alright!"

With that, the girl headed off, the Shiny Pokemon trailing behind her.

Ash then turned around to Sabrina.

"You'd better get all your Pokemon together to tell them," she said. "They are all here, right?"

Ash chuckled. "Yeah. Pretty surprising, considering the fact that they sometimes spend time elsewhere, what with all the traveling."

"Well, get to it, oh _great Chosen One_ ," Sabrina said, sarcastically stressing the last part. "I'll probably stay around for a little bit. Haven't seen my Mew for a while anyways."

Mew, who had been casually floating around while waiting, happily jumped onto Sabrina's shoulder, causing the gym leader to chuckle before walking away.

"C'mon, Pikachu, let's tell the others."

The electric mouse, who now looked like any normal Pikachu, hopped onto his trainer's shoulder.

* * *

Ash stood in front of the massive amount of Pokemon, all of them having their complete attention on him.

He had put on some more clothes, consisting of a blue tank top, a pair of slightly worn boots, and a baseball hat (Alola variant). He also had a necklace made of black string and a single crystal around his neck and a pair of blue gloves with strange stones on the backs.

Ash took a deep breath. "My friends and fellow fighters, you all know of how we have grown over the years."

Several calls and growls of confirmation filled the room. Ash raised his hands to stop them.

"We have grown, to protect ourselves, those we love, and those we serve, as Chosen. And we have done it all without a single human outside of our group knowing of what we have done, of _who_ we are. However, a letter has just arrived."

To prove his point, Ash held up said letter. "A grand tournament, the _Tournament of Legends_ , is coming in one month, where everyone will either come or watch, including those who have not trusted us, those who did not care about our thoughts and dreams, those who did not question their actions until they were too late, and likely those who are after us."

More growls rose up, filled with tempered fury, but Ash did not stop them this time.

"I ask of you, as friends and partners in battle, do you wish to show the world who we are? Do you believe we are ready to confront both those after us for our power and those who have foolishly stopped believing?"

The room was filled with numerous calls and roars. To others, it would seem as random Pokespeech, and some of it was. However, Ash heard the true words behind it, several shouts of complete and total agreement at the idea.

He knew that his team would be ready.

Ready to rise.

* * *

In a different area, a girl held a letter like the one Ash had received.

" _Tournament of Legends_?" She read. "Against everyone, even the Champions?"

She put the letter down, letting her mind wander as she closed her eyes.

"I know you'll be there, Ash," she said to herself. "And I'm only with you, none of the others. I'll stand by you no matter what anyone else says."

" _You have been wiser than the others,"_ a Pokemon spoke from behind her, causing her to open her eyes. " _How has convincing any of them gone?"_

"Not very well," the girl admitted, not turning around to face the voice. "Many of them either believe Ash is dead or think that they have to stop him from hurting himself if he does show up, including most of the Champions, if you can believe it."

The Pokemon sighed. " _Unfortunately, that is the way most of you humans are. Many are not in tune with the world, they do not think about purpose, about outcomes, about destiny."_

"I understand. All I can hope for is that they will not try convincing Ash to give up again, otherwise he may never forgive them. Especially if he explains why he can't."

" _What will you do if they do not stop trying to convince him?"_

The girl paused for a moment.

"If… if they continue to do so even after they have heard his reasoning or if they do not give him a chance to explain, I will not be able to trust them. Yet if Ash hasn't given his reasons, I will give them the benefit of the doubt. If any of them stop, I will welcome them into the group and help them earn Ash's trust again."

The Pokemon nodded.

" _Well, you better get together your Pokemon. You must train yourself for the coming month."_

The girl nodded as she refolded the letter.

 _Ash,_ the girl thought, _please stay safe in the tournament._

* * *

 **I got bored, so here's an Ash betrayed story I wanted to try. Basically, here the 'traitors' (as so many people like to call them) just believe they think they know what is right for Ash in a non-antagonizing way, but end up becoming annoying to him as they fail to see his role in the world. Along with that, he has some extra powers, one of which I revealed already if you understand it, that tie into the betrayal.**

 **Ash: Aren't there stories already like that? With the 'traitors' trying to get forgiveness and not being bad guys?**

 ***Shrugs* Probably. I've seen at least one or two where the 'traitors' were directly trying to gain your forgiveness, though they generally acted very antagonistic before you leave. Here, you just came to a disagreement on where you should go in life and that costed them your friendship.**

 **Ash: *Sighs* Why do so many people make me lose my friends?**

 ***Hugs* Don't worry, many times you become a badass in the end. And this is less complete 180 in character and more along the lines of thinking of you in the wrong ways.**

 **Ash: Fine...**

 **To all my Readers, Watchers, and Reviewers, Stay Golden!**


	2. Getting Ready

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or anything else like that. I own the story and my interpretation of Ashley.**

* * *

It was about a week after Ash had received the letter. He was still within the Tree of Beginning with plans only to go to Alola one week before registration began.

After all, it would do him no good to have his partners show off their skill while training in public. It would both be too revealing to the eyes of many he didn't want to see, and would probably cause too much destruction.

Currently, the boy was meditating near a waterfall that ran through the tree, one of the major sources of water for the inhabitants. The sound of the falling water put him at peace, allowing him to let go of any overbearing emotions.

As he was doing so, he felt a pull in the back of his mind.

Recognizing it, he let it pull his consciousness to wherever it was dragging him.

* * *

When Ash opened his eyes, he was no longer within the Tree of Beginning. Instead, he was in a grand room that was mostly white with several thrones of all shapes and sizes. Sitting on each of those thrones was a Legendary, though not every single one.

In response, Ash bowed slightly, taking notice of his slightly transparent body as he did.

"Arise, my Chosen One," Arceus spoke.

Ash did so and smiled at the Legendaries. "While I'm fine with seeing you all again without having to run across the world in the midst of catastrophe-"

A few Legends snickered.

"-why have you summoned me?"

"We have heard from the Mew of the Tree that there is a tournament going on," the Alpha Pokemon spoke, his voice serious. "Along with that, there is also a chance that those who have wronged you, both the ones who betrayed your trust and the ones who are after you for your power, shall be there."

Ash nodded. "While I am wary of seeing some of them again, I cannot hide forever. The truth must come out and those who are after me must fall."

"You do understand what can happen to you if you are caught?" Dialga questioned.

"I do, but I am willing to take that risk. The time to rise has come."

Ash then grinned. "Besides, even when everything goes horribly wrong, I'll probably still find someway to fix everything. That seems to be how it goes most of the time."

"Even still," Arceus said, "I ask that you have one Legend on hand or beside you at all times. They will be after you and only you, given what happened… _last time_."

Ash nodded, his body slightly tense at the thought. He remember this _last time_ well, one of the few moments he had lost control, all his mental teachings being thrown out the window for just a few moment.

And it turns out all the mental teachings were rather important, as stuffing the three major powers of the Pokemon world into a developing (at the time) boy could get rather dangerous if it weren't for the level of control he possessed from years of teaching. **(1)**

If it weren't for the situation and who was on the receiving end, and what they had done to even trigger him to lose all control, Ash was sure he would have been given a huge punishment for the amount of damage he caused in but a few short minutes. Instead, he was given a few months of increased practice and several warnings about why he should never let it happen again, more for his safety than as a punishment.

"I fear that all your years of self exile will accumulate in this tournament," Arceus continued, snapping Ash from his thoughts. "The danger will be great, with many enemies in the shadows, some in plain sight. And there is no one outside your group who can help. Some might make it even worse if you try to involve them."

"I understand," Ash replied. "I shall do all I can to both stay safe and keep all others, be it within my group or simple bystanders, safe. Though, on the subject of the tournament, is there any of you who wishes to be used in battle during the tournament?"

Around the room, different answers came.

Some of the smaller Legendaries all were fine if they were called out at any point, as they were considered on the lower end of the scale in terms of pure power and capabilities.

A few bigger ones also agreed to be used as desired, though most of them either wanted to be used against someone who had harmed Ash or someone he respected in terms of battle.

The few Legends that were considered God tier told Ash that they probably wouldn't do more than one battle near the end, if any, seeing as how powerful they were, and how many greater targets it would put on his back, mainly from those who didn't know about him and what he could do, with or without Pokemon.

With all that said and done, Ash bid goodbye to the Legends in the room and closed his eyes once more.

* * *

When Ash opened his eyes, he was back in the same spot as before, by the waterfall.

He was about to slip back into peaceful meditation again to mull over what he had been told, only to hear a loud explosion off in the distance.

Ash rolled his eyes. "Not again…"

He arose from his sitting position and headed down the paths of the tree.

* * *

In a large, open room, Ash found several Pokemon, all locked in heated combat.

Thunderbolts, Flamethrowers, Water Shurikens, Leaf Storms, and other such moves were all being thrown around, some of them creating a no holds brawl between the Pokemon dishing them out. Though it was hard to tell exactly who it was, or even how many, given the fact that there was a huge cloud of debris that had been kicked up around the group.

Ash again rolled his eyes, noticing the amount of damage the room had. He eternally thankful the room didn't have any effect on the Tree, otherwise his friends might have been kicked out long ago for extensive damage. **(2)**

Wanting to break up the intense training fight, Ash took a deep breath and sent Aura into his throat.

* * *

Mew and Sabrina were casually talking to one another as they overlooked the Tree's beautiful internal structure.

Then there was a loud roar off in the distance, one that seemed to shake the entire tree.

"What was that!?" Sabrina asked in shock.

She turned to Mew, who was currently shaking like a leaf.

' _Ash Roared,'_ she said in a timid voice. ' _Loud.'_

* * *

In another part of the Tree, a rather opened part, several Pokemon had all stopped what they were doing and were now shaking.

Nearby, a woman overlooked the group and shook her head at the sight.

"Ash really needs to control how loud he does that," she told herself. "It's scaring all the other Pokemon."

"Mommy!"

The woman looked to see Ashley running to her. She smiled at the sight.

"What is it, dear?"

* * *

Once Ash closed his mouth, he looked to see several closed Pokeballs and one Pikachu who looked to be in horrible pain as he covered his ears.

" _Dang it, Ash!"_ Pikachu shouted. " _Did you have to do that!?"_

"I was trying to stop you for a bit," Ash explained. "If I tried fighting or using an offensive attack instead, it wouldn't have solved anything."

Ash then picked up his starter in his arms and levitated the Pokeballs before letting out all the Pokemon inside of them.

There was a flash of light as all the Pokemon were revealed: Charizard, Sceptile, Infernape, Krookodile, Greninja, Dusk-Lycanroc, and Lucario. To Ash and those who knew him, they were considered the Power Team, all of them being Ash's strongest in terms of pure brute force and power.

All of them had their ears covered with closed eyes, only to open them and remove their paws once they realized the sound that trapped them was gone.

Ash shook his head at the group. "When I said 'training', I didn't mean beat yourselves to a bloody pulp."

" _This is just how we train, Ash,"_ Lucario said. " _We know you will be in danger in the coming month, both physically and mentally. We want to make sure we are ready."_

"And you won't be ready if you're injured or exhausted," Ash remarked. "Either way, I don't think Mew likes it when you threaten to break rooms in the Tree."

" _We weren't breaking anything,"_ Charizard stated.

In response, Ash pointed to the walls behind them.

The group of Pokemon all turned to see that there was several deep holes in the wall, along with some soot. All of them sweatdropped at the sight.

"I understand you want to protect me," Ash continued, "but you need to settle down a little. Save some of your strength for later and give yourself a chance to relax."

" _Fine…"_ Was the reply Ash received.

" _However!"_ Sceptile suddenly added. " _We want to go up against anyone who has wronged you, not matter what."_

All the Pokemon nodded, determination and anger filling their expressions.

Ash sighed. "I understand you have taken the betrayal hard. Even those who weren't personally there to experience." He looked to Lucario and Lycanroc. "And I will use you against them, but try not to hold any seeking for revenge in your hearts. Revenge will do us no good." **(3)**

Again, all the Pokemon nodded.

" _But if they try and hurt you again,"_ Charizard said, " _no mercy."_

Ash gave a faint chuckle at that. "Like I said, just don't push yourselves to far. Otherwise I'll sic Jigglypuff on ya to get ya to rest."

Pikachu decided to hop onto Ash's shoulder while the others went off to do their own thing, taking Ash's advice and small threat to heart.

* * *

"You seriously gotta stop doing that," Ash told Pikachu as they walked along the paths of the Tree.

" _Hey, we're the power team, we can't help it,"_ Pikachu commented.

"Still, don't break the room," Ash said. "You know what happens if the Tree gets too heavily damaged."

" _Yeah, yeah. I get it, we'll start practicing outside."_

"Or get Giratina to let you into the Reverse World."

" _Well, she ain't here right now."_

The two continued talking, their conversation shifting to the tournament.

" _Ash, do you really hold no hate in your heart from those…_ traitors?" Pikachu asked, venom in his voice on the last word.

"I am angry with them, and if they dare try anything against me, they will be dealt with," Ash explained. "But in the long run, it does me no good to hate them now, when I can give them the benefit of the doubt and call them ignorant and naive."

" _But they still wronged you, even threatened you,"_ Pikachu said. " _How can we not hold hatred in our hearts for those humans, who threatened to separate us?"_

"Again, they were ignorant, and they thought they were doing the right thing. Though I know some of them were driven by more sinful causes, even if they don't see it that way. And there clearly wasn't any weight in their threats, seeing as none have come to fruition."

" _Well, even if you won't be gunning for them,"_ Pikachu stated, " _What about the others? You know they'll be there, so what if they see a traitor? They care for you just like we, your Pokemon, do, and they will not be happy with them."_

"If they really want to seek out revenge for me, that's fine, though I will tell them they don't need to. They should only feel the need to if they make any attempts on me or those I care about for whatever reason."

He then took out a phone. "Speaking of which, I'd better text them just to make sure they all have an invite or know about it."

" _Make sure your girlfriend gets one, otherwise you'll be in hell when you get there."_

Ash blushed slightly, but chose not to vocalize any response.

* * *

In Kanto, a woman was in a dressing room, numerous costumes and disguises around her. Just as she was getting one on, her phone beeped, causing her to stop to see what it was.

A Ditto came up to her as she sat at a desk, looking at the phone as well.

"Whaddya think?" She asked the shapeshifter once she was done reading. "Think you're up for some battling?"

In response, the Ditto jumped off the table and turned into a mighty Dragonite, letting out a fierce roar.

* * *

In Johto, a woman dressed in witch themed attire was looking through a book, a Murkrow on her shoulder. When he phone binged, the crow Pokemon flew over to her bag and grabbed the device for her.

"Thank you." She said as she grabbed the little machine.

Reading the message, the girl packed away her book and anything else that was out.

"I'd better go check my mailbox to see if I got invited formally. Either way, I certainly want to see Ash battle and help him with any loose ends."

* * *

Still in Johto, a girl was sitting on her bed, looking down at her phone.

An Unown popped out behind her, reading the message. She then turned around to face the Pokemon.

"We'd better go tell Daddy," she said before she rushed off through the halls.

* * *

In Honen, a boy was on the trails when his phone beeped in his pocket. While reading it, another Pokemon on his shoulder made its presence known.

' _You're not going to be able to avoid her now,'_ it spoke telepathic. ' _She will be there, probably with them, and she will find out about everything.'_

The boy dryly chuckled. "Let her find out then. She made her choice, I made mine. Even if she can fix it, it'll still be awhile before I can even trust her again after the stunt she pulled."

* * *

Over in Sinnoh, a man was sitting on his Torterra as he looked at the message.

"It's finally time, huh," he said, mostly to himself.

He then smirked as he sat up. "Time to show the world then."

* * *

In the Unovan skies, a man rode on a large white dragon as he read the message.

"The time has come my friend," he told his companion. "The time has come for the world to know the truth."

" _Then the truth shall be given!"_ The dragon stated with a mighty roar.

* * *

Way over by Kalos, a man stood next to his Charizard, looking at his phone.

"Better get ready," he told his partner. "If Ash is coming, then things are bound to get hectic."

The Charizard grunted in agreement before letting it's trainer hop onto is back, ready to find a place to train.

* * *

A few miles away from him, another girl looked at the message.

"Don't worry, Ash," she said. "I'll make sure you get through this alright."

Beside her, her Pokemon nodded.

' _And this is why I let you become my master.'_

* * *

Finally, in Alola, a group of six were talking, enjoying some time outside. Three boys and three girls were their numbers.

All of their phones went off at once, causing them to check their messages.

By the time they were done reading, they were all either excited or smirking. None more so than one blond haired girl, who wore an amused smirk with excitement in her eyes.

As all the others looked at her, she only had one thing to say.

"This will be fun."

* * *

 **(1): The three 'major' powers of the Pokemon world will be formally revealed at a later date. A little hint if you want to guess, I got the idea from Ashes of the Past. I gave Ash all these powers because… well, he's the Chosen One! Wouldn't you want your Chosen One, in the face of all danger, to be prepared and have more than one option in case something knocks out one?**

 **(2): Either the Mew of the Tree would kick them out for recklessly damaging the place or the immune system of the Tree would activate, and we don't want that.**

 **(3): I actually saw a video on revenge in the process of making this chapter, and it described how revenge doesn't always make a person feel better, in fact it can even make a person feel worse in some cases. Seeing as how Ash is said to have three major powers in him and a buttload of mental teachings, it's not unlikely he wouldn't actively seek revenge or even hold hatred in his heart, as he has been told to let go of all those negative emotions for his own safety. That doesn't mean, however, that everyone else won't be trying to get revenge for Ash.**

* * *

 **Reviews (Thanks be to the Reviewer):**

 **HydroK Operations: Glad I could catch your interest.**

 **w00za & Guest: Thanks for the support you two.**

 **Temporal King: Okay, so going in order of your paragraphs. Yes, the traitors did cross a line, as mentioned in this chapter. However, they saw it as protecting Ash, like they were stopping a suicide given how much Ash dies or almost dies. And, as stated in this chapter, Ash is the Chosen One, though I believe I will make it a little more than that, with the 'truth' that everyone keeps mentioning. I also changed Ash's stage name from Red to Ashura, mainly because I like the name more and it still has his initials. As for the mystery girl, I did mention her again here, but it is not any of those you mentioned.**

* * *

 **Here's your new chapter! This is just a little bit of what's going on before Ash gets to Alola, and a bit of work at trying to show whose in this 'group' that is mentioned.**

 **Ash: No sign of the traitors yet.**

 **Yeah, I wanted to focus a little bit more on you while letting people guess who your new friends are.**

 **Speaking of which, if you want to guess who Ash's new friends mentioned at the end of the chapter are, feel free to leave a review.**

 **Ash: And next chapter the ball will get rolling?**

 **Yep! Look forward to it.**

 **And to all my Readers, Watchers, and Reviewers, Stay Golden!**


	3. A Serious Topic

"So, we'll be heading out now?" Sabrina asked.

Ash nodded. "I want to get everything set up before the bigger waves of people come in. We're even pushing it in that regard with how big tourism is in Alola, but it's better that my Pokemon were able to train here beforehand."

"Alright. Whose coming anyways?"

Ash thought for a moment. "All my Pokemon, save for the ones who have roles somewhere. Most of them only want to be called over either near the later rounds or not at all. Aside from that, my mom and Ashley are coming with us. As for the rest of the team, I texted all of them, so they should know, but we haven't set up a place to meet. Though we'll probably all meet up anyway, given the fact will all probably be staying at the same place, and we'll probably get called down to _there_ soon enough."

Sabrina nodded. "Do you want to travel by flying or just teleport there? I'm sure Mew could handle it for our group here if all the Pokemon are in their Pokeballs."

"Teleporting sounds good," Ash answered. "I'd rather just get there without anyone seeing me. After all, some of my Pokemon can attract attention."

"And Mew won't?" Sabrina deadpanned

"We can chose a good spot to hide from the crowds if we teleport."

"Speaking of crowds, what are you going to do about your stage name?"

Ash raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Are you just going to wait until you reach the point where you have to drop it or are you going to drop it right away?" Sabrina elaborated.

Ash shrugged. "I'm going to ask the rest of the team that. I've already asked my Pokemon, and they all have different opinions, ranging from drop it right away so everyone can see how strong I am to hiding it until the last moment to avoid everyone. Though they all said they'll be fine with my choice no matter what I chose."

Sabrina nodded. "Alright. Best get everyone together. We'd better get to Alola."

* * *

After Ash had informed the others, he let them get ready as he went to one other place within the Tree. It's heart.

Upon reaching the crystal cave, the most important room of the Tree, Ash knelt in front of the largest crystals, two figures frozen within.

"Masters, the time has come for me to leave," Ash said. "When I return, my true name and titles shall be revealed and almost every secret kept will be heard throughout the regions."

A light formed in front of the crystals, manifesting into two spirits.

Sir Aaron and his Lucario.

Aaron smiled at Ash. "That is good to hear. It is best that you no longer have to live in hiding, with numerous masks to protect your face in public."

" _Now, you shall no longer need to be Ashura,"_ Lucario added. " _Just Ash."_

"That is actually something I wish to address with you," Ash noted. "I will not have to reveal my true name until later, but do you believe I should reveal it right away, or even just a little bit before the deadline?"

Aaron pondered for a moment.

"The way I see it, revealing yourself could be both beneficial and detrimental. On one end, the secret is out and a weight is off your shoulder, should you reveal it in advance, along with the fact you are finally recognized for all your good deeds. However, this could also cause trouble, thanks to your former companions, along with anyone else looking for you. When they find out who you are, they still might try to convince you to give up, believing their intentions are pure and not realizing the consequences."

He smiled at his descendant. "Of course, the media might also be looking for you too. They'll do anything to get a good scoop."

Ash grimaced at the thought of reporters hounding him.

" _Remember to consider both the pros and cons of every decision,"_ Lucario mused. " _It is your choice to make, but know that there are those who will help you find the answer you seek."_

Ash bowed. "Thank you, Masters. I wish to make the right choice, so I am seeking out all the help I can get before I make a decision."

Aaron warmly smiled. "Good luck, Ash. Know that Lucario and I are still watching you, even if you cannot see us."

With that, the two disappeared.

Ash sighed as he stay in his spot, trying to calm the rising nervousness building within him.

 _To think, so many years ago, I would have been bouncing up and down at the chance to prove myself to be the best of the best._ Ash thought.

" _Troubles?"_

Ash turned to the sound of the feminine voice. Standing close to the entrance of the cave was a Lucario staring at him.

"Something wrong, Rota?" Ash asked. **(1)**

" _Not on my end, but clearly something on yours,"_ she said. " _I came to see where you were so we could get ready to go."_

Ash looked down. Rota moved and knelt next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

" _What's wrong?"_

"It's just… I feel nervous about this," Ash explained. "And… indifferent, kinda? It's hard to explain. I mean, I would have been super excited when I was younger to be invited to such a tournament. And even after the whole betrayal issue I would be ecstatic for revenge. But now I don't feel the need for any of it. I don't feel the need to take revenge, I've given up on those ideals long ago." **(2)**

Rota smirked and pounded her fists together. " _And because everyone else will be getting your revenge for you."_

Ash snorted. "Yes, and that. Yet, I don't feel any sort of over the top excitement. Maybe because I know these battles don't truly demonstrate my Pokemon's true strength? Maybe because I know there is danger lurking in the shadows?" **(3)**

" _Don't worry too much,"_ Rota told her trainer. " _Remember, you have people and Pokemon who are with you every step of the way, who have brought you out of the brink of despair and anger. Who have helped you build who you are today. We're always here for you, Ash."_

Ash smiled. "Thanks."

He stood. "Now, let's get going. We can't keep the others waiting."

* * *

In Alola, several ships arrived at the port of Melemele Island. Once they docked, hundreds of people came swarming out, ready to explore the island.

After a few minutes, the cluster of people thinned out, leaving only a few groups behind.

"Are you sure we should be on this island, Brock? The invite said the tournament was on Ula'Ula island. They said we were docking at Melemele."

Within a single pair was a girl with red hair next to a man with spiky hair and squinty eyes. The man was currently nose deep in a guide book.

"I'm sure, Misty," the man, Brock, told his companion. "It's the tournament and showcases on Ula'Ula, but there are more hotels on Melemele, so they placed the competitor residence here."

"But how are we supposed to get to the tournament?" Misty whined. "What if we're running late and it takes too long to cross the ocean?"

"Actually, they have a different way of getting across the ocean as opposed to Pokemon and boats. It's something called the Pory-Trails. They apparently are super quick cars that travel around in between islands."

Misty scoffed. "I highly doubt they have something like that. Just make sure we aren't late for the tournament."

Brock rolled his eyes (not that it could be seen). "Sure, sure. I'll make sure your not late in meeting your boyfriend."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Brock regretted it.

"Misty, I'm sor-"

He cut himself off at the girl, who was now looking down at the ground, eyes full of tears. But they held more, unbridled fury and sorrow.

"Just. Don't," Misty choked out.

She started walking again, passing by Brock, who could faintly hear her say something along the lines of "Stupid, dead idiot," and "Shoulda listened to us."

Brock shook his head, but his mood had also grown somber. He followed after his companion, giving her some space.

"Hey you two!"

The voice broke the two out of their moodiness.

"Hey, May! Dawn!" Misty called back.

The brunette and bluenette approached the two, stopping right in front of them.

"Glad to see ya," Dawn greeted.

Misty's mood did a 180 at seeing her friends. "It's great to see you, too! It's been too long!"

May grinned at her friend. "Yeah, I wonder if any of the others are here?"

"They're probably on the boats from their respective regions," Brock mused. "How go things with you?"

May sighed. "Alright, for the most part. I'm questioning if I should start dating Drew, but I don't know if I can go through with it. I also can't seem to contact Max, no matter how many times I call."

Dawn, however, was a bit more sad. "I still haven't found Buneary."

Misty, feeling sorry for the coordinator, put a hand over her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm sure she's out there and waiting for you."

"Yeah! We'll find her!" May encouraged.

Brock just nodded, but his mouth was a thin line covered by the guidebook.

 _Is she really waiting though?_ He thought. _Buneary wasn't Dawn's strongest Pokemon and she just disappeared. Sure, she was semi-famous for her fashion work, but that's no reason to steal her. And she_ was _rather interested in Pikachu._

His mouth curved down. _In fact, all of our Pokemon have been acting strange. A couple other Pokemon have run away from our friends and the ones that stay don't act like we're friends anymore, or at least not on the same level as before. And all of it started after_ that _day…_

"Hey, Brock!" Dawn called. "Hurry up or you'll get left behind!"

Brock's head snapped up. The three girls were a distance away. "Oh, coming!"

The group started to walk along, the three girls happily chatting while Brock forgot what made him so somber in the first place.

* * *

 **NOTICE!**

 **If you read this chapter you probably noticed the constant referral to Ash's stage name going away. I'm going to make a poll about when Ash should get rid of his stage name. It will be up for until at the very least two chapters from now give or take, as that is when I am going to properly start the tournament. Please vote so I know what I should do.**

* * *

 **(1): Yes, this is the Lucario mentioned from last chapter, along with being the Riolu that could use Aura Sphere in Sinnoh. Why female? I just thought it would be a nice change considering how everyone makes Ash's Lucario male. C'mon people! There has to be female Riolu and Lucario otherwise there wouldn't be any of these Pokemon at all!**

 **(2): Again, revenge isn't as great as media makes it seem. At the same time, not many people have a forgiving Ash, especially not one at the beginning. Hopefully this will give some different perspectives compared to other stories.**

 **(3): When Ash says it doesn't demonstrate their true strength, this is mostly because Pokemon battles have certain rules in place to keep it 'fair', but in an actual fight for your life or something, you ain't gonna care about any rules! And Ash's Pokemon have been fighting pretty rulelessly for several years.**

* * *

 **Reviews (Thanks be to the Reviewer):**

 **w00za: Thanks for the support!**

 **Mark Andrew: You got six of the characters right in your line up. And the other woman Ashley was talking to was Ash's actual mom AKA Delia. I don't like it much when people decide to make her against Ash as she always seems supportive of him in the show. Also, Sabrina is not Ash's girlfriend, I'm sorry, but I see them as siblings more than anything, given the fact that I've seen Sabrina listed as 21 (which would be when Ash is 10).**

 **Western-Otaku: You have only one wrong (and I think you know which one) in your character line up. And, yeah, part of the reason I felt like doing this was to make an Ash betrayed story that doesn't completely destroy Ash and his friends' relationship because their characters decide to do a 180, no matter how much I enjoy seeing a deserving character getting bashed. I don't think there is many stories when Ash gets betrayed due to misunderstanding of the whole Chosen One thing. I find that a little more reasonable, which is also why Ash can give the others the benefit of the doubt.**

 **animegamefanatic: Well, you'll probably be seeing who the new companions are next chapter.**

* * *

 **Sorry it took me so long on this chapter, consider it a late Christmas gift. My uploading computer has been being a pain with connecting to the internet and the screen going out sometimes. Along with that I've also had some issues in school. Either way, I hope you enjoyed. The next chapter will feature Ash's team and some of their secrets before the tournament starts. If you have any ideas or comments, let me know in the reviews. Anything to add, Ash?**

 **Ash: *Playing video games* Don't make me into an edge lord or emo teen.**

 **To all my Readers, Watchers, and Reviewers, Stay Golden!**


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